why everytime there is a disaster either natural or other everyone in this country is so quick to take up a relief fund to send to people in other parts of the world. Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying that these people effected by the eartquake and tsunami don't need some help but what about all of the homeless people here in our own country.
Every time I turn on the tv somebody is wanting me to send school supplies or food or donate some money to people in Irag, or some place else in the world for people who are in need. I just don't understand how we as Americans can send relief to other countries when we have people living on the streets starving here in our own country. It is beyond me.
There is a very large number of people here in Denver that are homeless, yet every night on the local news somebody is begging for money to send to someone in these foreign countries to help them out. Should we not take care of our own before we try to save the rest of the world? Am I missing something here?
Sorry for the tone of this post but I just don't get it.
Popere in reality there are numerous programs throughout the country government and charity run that provide support for the homeless, one of the problems in dealing with the homeless is due to the ACLU suing to prevent the mentally ill from being institutionalized with out there consent.
The vast majority of the homeless you see living on the street are mentally ill and refuse to make use of shelters and programs designed to help them.
Do not get me wrong there still is a lot that needs to be done right here in the US that charities simply do nothing about.
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I agree with you Taz about a lot of the people on the street being mentally ill. I also saw on the news last night where the majority of the money that is contibuted to these "charities" never makes it to the people that it is intended to help. I guess it just rubs me the wrong way.
popere you are correct in the PROFIT some of these non-profits make! A cousin of mine worked for years for an agency that reported on how much of the money/goods donated to charities actually made it to the people it was to help, he told me flat out that the only charity he donates to is the Salvation Army because over 90% of the donations actually go to the people they are helping and not into overhead and salaries! You do not want to know about the Red Cross![:@]
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The Tazman aka Martin Price
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Not that I oppose lending aid to people who need help, because it is the prime focus of the Church, but I liken the US approach to foreign charity, to it's attacks on foreign nations.
The USA will tell you we have to invade peaceful nations to insure "freedom" for ourselves, and our children, while the very same people belong to the machinery that makes it legal to kill over 3000 babies everyday here in America.
The tidal wave deaths are truly a sad situation, but within two-weeks time here in the USA, just as many infant corpes will be thrown in medical waste dumpsters, under the protection of US law.
why everytime there is a disaster either natural or other everyone in this country is so quick to take up a relief fund to send to people in other parts of the world.
might just be that Americans are good people in general and will offer a helping hand where needed.
I think Taz is right on the money with the homelss situation as well as many other situations of people in need here in the USA. IMO, People have to want the help, be willing to accept it and then become independent from it. The last part is the problem for many.
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Now you have to picture a combination of PeeWEE Herman and Wally Cox but with less muscle tone, trying to be intimidating None of this is funny! Message edited by Cougar Mag -- 1/7/2005 1:16:42 AM >/b]
Taz, do you have a link for your cousin's agency and can people look up online what the "nonprofits" actually spend on the cause as opposed to pocketing for profit?
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Popere in reality there are numerous programs throughout the country government and charity run that provide support for the homeless, one of the problems in dealing with the homeless is due to the ACLU suing to prevent the mentally ill from being institutionalized with out there consent.
Ok , I'm confused .
By definition if you're insane you can't legally consent to anything , somone else has to decide for you . Is it just me ... ? [&:]
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Popere in reality there are numerous programs throughout the country government and charity run that provide support for the homeless, one of the problems in dealing with the homeless is due to the ACLU suing to prevent the mentally ill from being institutionalized with out there consent.
Ok , I'm confused .
By definition if you're insane you can't legally consent to anything , somone else has to decide for you . Is it just me ... ? [&:]
kevin, There is a difference between being insane and mentally ill, a person may be mentally ill without being insane. There is also a vast difference between being insane and criminally insane. Many of those so called homeless are in fact mentally ill yet are not necessarily either insane or criminally insane. There may be a fine line between some of the distinctions yet the line does exist and we are stuck with it. Up until the 60's we had asylums in nearly every state where the mentally ill were warehoused for most of their lives, some good many not so good. The ACLU or another like-minded organization sued the government for unlawful imprisonment or words to that effect and nearly overnight the asylums were emptied and the streets began to overflow with the newly created "Homeless" or as a local radio host refers to them "Urban Outdoorsmen"
As for our charity toward other nations in times of disaster, I believe we do it because we can and because it is the right thing to do. Unfortunately, there are many truly needy folks in those places that will never see the benefits because much will be siphoned off to the politicians for their own use.
The tidal wave deaths are truly a sad situation, but within two-weeks time here in the USA, just as many infant corpes will be thrown in medical waste dumpsters, under the protection of US law.
Well said...excellent point.
I agree, Popere...it's sort of been quickly niggling away at me, too -- then we seem to be in some competition to "prove" we're not cheap - please! We shouldn't have to prove that to anyone and I'm asked myself 1,000 times over, "What about those right here in the US that need all this help!?"
The Tsunami's are a horridle, unthinkable tragedy and I couldn't be sorrier, yet I look around me in my own neighborhood and see a lot of need. No one is sending us millions to sort it all out -- and no one ever will. Take care of your own..that's the mantra I heard most of my life. But, there it is...it's turned into some world competition (God help us!).
This is what I dont't understand...
